Portable lavatory



E. S. CURLISS.

PORTABLE LAVATORY.

APPLICATION FILED rmv. us, 1919.

1 ,358,937, Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

AM 6 I EDGAR S. CURLISS, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PORTABLE LAVATORY.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov 16 1920;

Application filed November 15, 1919. Serial No. 338,341.

T 0 all 20 7mm it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDGAR S. CURLIss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Lavatories, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in portable lavatories and it is more particularly adapted and intended for'use upon automobile running boards.

The object of my invention is to provide a neat, efficient and convenient portable lavatory for ready use, especially in emergencies when lavatory facilities are not otherwise available. 4

My invention consists in the lavatory in its entirety as an article of manufacture and in the parts and combination and arrangement of parts as herein set forth and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lavatory in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the bottom and fastening bar, and showing the lavatory in partially open position; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lavatory in open position ready for use.

The water receptacle 4 is preferably formed of rectangular shape and is provlded at its top with an inlet adapted to be opened and closed by a screw cap 5. The. bottom 6 is placed some distance above the lower edge of the side and end walls of the receptacle and a discharge faucet 7 is mounted upon the front of the receptacle at the bottom 6 to permit full drainage. An air vent 8 is provided in the top front edge of the receptacle just in front of the flange 9 and has a tube 10 extending therefrom into the receptacle a short distance to permit the flow of water when the faucet 7 is open. This tube serves to prevent water from splashing out of the air vent 8. Preferably near the top and right-hand end of the front wall 11 of the receptacle I mount a soap-box 12, having a lid 13 hinged thereon and normally held in closed position by spring 14. The lid is provided at its front edge wlth a handle projection 15 for opening and closing it. The lid is provided on its under side with a rib 16 which forms a close fit with the upper edge of the box to prevent any soft or fluid soap contained therein from spilling or seeping out when the lid is closed and when the lavatory is mounted upon a moving conveyance and subject- 0 to the vibrations caused by vehicular travel. A spring clamp 17 is mounted upon the front wall '11, as shown, for the purpose of holding a towel. The receptacle is provided at its bottom with a centrally disposed bar 18 connected to and extending from the lower edge of one end of the receptacle to the lower edge of the other end thereof and has bolt holes 19 suitably arranged for securing the receptacle by bolts and nuts to the running-board of an automobile or to any other suitable mounting. The front wall with its soap-box holder and faucet is adapted to be covered and inclosed by a wash-tray 20. The top of wall 21 of tray 20 is cut away to permit the. edges of the walls 22, 23 and 24 to abut the flange 9 of the receptacle, thereby overlapping the ends and top of the receptacle and forming a closer fit and covering and protecting the .80 air vent. Said wall 21 is also provided with a notch or recess 25 to receive the faucet when the tray is adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 3, ready forwashing. The tray is pivotally and slidably attached to the front wall by hinge bar 26 and 27 attached at each end to the front wall and spaced therefrom between their attached ends. The wall 21 is provided with openings 28 and 29, respectively, to receive said hinge bars 26 and 27, respectively. The top of each bar 26 and 27 is bent outwardly at its top to form a recess or bearing in which the hinge rod 30 is adapted to beanchored when the tray is pushed upwardly to the po- .95 sition shown in Fig. 3, so that the tray is thereby held firmly in position and prevented from sliding down to a position which would permit the tray to tilt downwardly. When the receptacle is mounted upon a running board of greater width than the receptacle the hinge bars 26 and 27 permit the tray to be opened and slid upwardly out of contact with the running board until the hinge rod 30 engages the bearings 31 and 32, respectively. This arrangement permits the tray to be firmly held in horizontal position for use and prevents any sagging or undue strain upon the hinge bars which would occur if the tray was per- 1 mitted to be adjusted to the bottoms of said bars. The tray is provided with a suitable drain outlet which is adapted to be opened and closed by screw cap 33 which also serves as a handle in opening and closing the tray.

open the fastening means. Then take hold of the screw cap 33 and pull the tray upwardly until the hinge rod 30 engages bearings 31, then pull the free end of the tray outwardly until it assumes a horizontal position. The tray may then be supplied with Water through the faucet 7. Soft or fluid or other soap is then readily available from the soap-box, as is also the towel held in position by spring clamp 17. In order to drain the tray simply remove and replace the screw cap 33. To close the device merely reverse the operation of opening.

Thus it will be seen that a very essential and convenient means is supplied to automobilists and others who are frequently required to repair their cars on the road far from any Water or other lavatory conven-.

iences, so that as soon as the work which soils the hands is finished they may be quirkly and conveniently washed and wiped by the means afforded by my invention.

While I have shown and described a pre ferred construction it will be understood that the form and structure of various parts may be modified without departing from the scope or spirit of the device as herein set forth and claimed.

I claim:

1. A portable lavatory having a water receptacle, means for filling and discharg ing water therefrom, an air vent, a tube connected to said vent and extending inwardly therefrom, a front wall having lavatory accessories mounted thereon, and a wash-tray pivotally and slidably mounted upon said front wall and adapted when in vertical position to close'said air vent and adapted to be swung to .horizontal position, whereby water may be discharged from said receptacle into said tray.

2. A portable lavatory having a water receptacle provided with an air vent in its upper edge, a tray adapted to have its edges overlap a portion of said receptacle and to cover said vent when in closed position,

substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

3.- A portable lavatory having a water receptacle provided with a bottom located above the lower edge of its side and end walls, a bar fastened within the space thus formed and having bolt holes therein to afford means for fastening the same to an automobile, a discharge faucet projecting from the gront wall of said. receptacle adjacent the bottom thereof, and a tray slidably hinged to said front wall and adapted to be adjusted to horizontal open position or to vertical closed position, substantially as set forth.

4. A portable lavatory comprising a wa ter receptacle having an inlet and discharge faucet and an air vent, and a tray slidably and pivotally connected to said receptacle and to be moved with reference to said receptacle while the water receptacle remains stationary, said tray being adapted when in open position to bear against said receptacle and to receive water from said discharge faucet when said tray is in a horizontal position and to cover said discharge faucet when said tray is in a vertical position.

5. A portable lavatory, comprising a wa ter receptacle having suitable means for filling and discharging the contents, vertically disposed hinge bars connected at their ends to said receptacle, and each having a recessed bearing at its upper end, and a tray pivotally and slidably connected to said hinge bars whereby said device may be attached to a running board of greater width than it and said tray be opened to horizontal position by sliding 1t upwardly into said bearings and then drawing it outwardly into horizontal position.

EDGAR s'. CURLISS.

Witnesses J AMES N. RAMsEY,

MARY E. McCoNNnLL. 

